Railway car



Feb. 17; 1925.

W. E. WINE RAILWAY CAR Filed July 2, 1923 Patented 17, T1925,

WILLIAM E, 'WENE, OF TOLEDO, OI-IIO.

BAILW'AY CAB.

Application filed July 2, 1323.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. WINE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of railway cars and particularly to struc tural features pertaining to drop bottom doors for closing openings in the car through which the lading may be dis charged.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a simple, strong, light and readily fabricated door spreader for connecting hinged doors on opposite sides of the car center sill construction so that they operate together in opening and closing; and to combine the parts comprising the spreader in such manner that it provides means for eificiently cooperatingwith pivoted hooks or other door supporting devices mounted upon the sides of the car.

Generally stated, the principal feature of 30 the invention consists in combining with a plurality of hinged doors, which are arranged on opposite sides of the center sill construction of the car, a door spreader in volving a plurality of angle irons having overlapping legs which are rigidly connected so as to form a built up Z-bar section, portions of the spreader constituting door contacting faces, and other portions thereof constituting arms projecting beyond the sides of the car for cooperating with hooks or other door supporting means movably mounted on the car sides.

A further feature of the invention consists in forming a door spreader of members which overlap and are rigidly connected at a plurality of points, the members being in spaced relation between their said points of connection.

Another feature of the invention resides in a door spreader involving two connected flanged members one of which is substantially straight and is disposed in spaced relation to the plane of the doors, the other being provided with offset portions forming door contacting faces or seats. {Other featnrgs of the invention, involving particuiar Serial No. 649,053.

combinations and advantageous details of construction, will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure 1 is a detail cross sectional View of a portion of a railway car embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line AA, Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line BB, Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of a portion of a car embodying a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1. but illustrating. another modified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line (l-C, Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view of a portion of a railway car embodying another modification of the invention.

F igure 8 is a sectional view on the line B-B, Fig. 7.

As appears from the drawings, the car.

construction in which my invention is embodied is of the hopper bottom type provided with a plurality of hoppers equipped with drop doors for discharging the load. As the manner of constructing the hoppers and the doors of a car of this character is well understood generally, and as these features of construction may vary, they are not illustrated in complete detail in the drawings.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate an improved form of door spreader connecting the hinged drop bottom doors 1 for closing the discharge openings of a pair of hoppers.

These hoppers may be constructed with inclined side sheets 2 offset at their lower edges to form shoulders beneath which the doors 1 stand when in closed position. The doors, which may be hinged to the car body so as to swing on a transversely extending hinge axis in the usual manner, are preferably provided with downwardly extending marginal stiffening flanges 3 adapted to stand just inside of the lower edge portions of the side sheets 2 of the hoppers.

Through the instrumentalit-y of a door spreader t the doors 1 are rigidly connected so as to operate together as a single unit. The spreader 4; is a composite or built up the lower angle iron member structure preferably comprising aplurality of angleirons 5 and 6,"respectively, which are rigidly connected. The lower angle iron 5 may advantageously be straight or substantially so throughout its length and projects beyond the opposite sides of the doors 1. This angle iron, which is spaced from the plane of the doors, is dis'posedso that one of its legs, 7, is normal to the plane of the doors while its other leg 8 formsa marginal flange bordering the lower part of the spreader.

The upper angle iron 6, by which the lower flanged member 7 is spaced from: the plane. ot the doors, may be made of a length such that it projects outwardly from" opposite sides of the doors to the same extent as The leg 9 of the angle iron 6 is disposed normal to the plane of the doors 1 while the other leg 10 of the upper flanged member constitutes a" marginal flange bordering the upper part or the door spreader. The relation to each other of the angle irons 5 and 6 is such that the door spreader 4 is abuilt up Z- section whose web is formed by the angle iron legs or flanges which arenorm'al to the plane of the doors, tliehanges of the said Z-section being formed by theother legs oi the angle irons and 6; I

The upper flanged member 6 of the door spreader is bent so as to form a plurality of door contacting portions 11 spaced from the lower angle iron 5, the doors 1 being respectivelysecured to the upper member 6 by means of rivet-s 12 which pass through the leg ofthe angle iron forming the upper marginal flange of the door spreader.

Between the door engaging portions 11 the upper member 6 is bent downwardly or 'ofi'set toward the lower angle iron 5, as in- 'dicalted at 13, thus enabling the upper flanged member to clear the inner marginal flange 3 of the door and also bringing the flanges 7 and 9, which are normal to the plane of the doors, into overlapping relation at a point between thedoor contacting parts ofjthe spreader. "At this point or oi-'e'rlapping engagement the angle irons are preferably rigidly attached to each other by means of rivets 14." For a similar purpose,

'thefup'p'er angle'iron 6 is provided withbent or offset portions 15 "at its ends, where it is securedto the lewer angle iron 5 by means of rivets '16 passing through the overlapping legs or the angle rons. Theoverlapping end portions of the angle irons 5 and 6 thus: forin strong and efficient doo'ra r'i'ns 17 for cooperatingwith door: supporting hooks "18 for sustainingthe'doors inclosed posibeofthe' usual mpieierred construction 'andma -'bepiremlly mounted upon thecar body in anyYc-ustomary "or convenielnt man her, for example, as illustratedirr'Flg. 4.

tends'beyond the neighboring end oi the lower angle iron 5 Rivets 16 rigidly unite the overlappingflegs of the angle irons at the ends ofthe door spreader. This spreader is shown" as applied to a type of car having a: side sheet extension 19 c'arryinga lower flange angle 20 having one flange projecting inwardly toward the neighboring door 1. The si'de'she't-zts 201 the hoppers with which the doors cooperate are shown as of the same character as. those hereto-" fore described; and the door. supporting hooks 18, of which lbutone is shown in the drawings, are illustrated as Inovably mounted upon the car side 19 by in'eansgofa bracket 21' and a rivet 29 forming a pivot anthe hook.

The constructionof hoppers, doors and door supporting hooks shownin the modified embodiment of the invention ilhistra-ted in Figs. 5 and-6 isthesa'ine as that-shown in Figs. 1, 2 and Sand heretoforedes'cribed.

Accordingly, these" identical structural "dealready described in detailz thatis to say,

the said member 6" is formed with offset portions 11 provlding'door contactingfaceselr gaging the under su'rfaces'of the respective doors 1, and is also bent between said door contacting portions, as 'at 13, toclearthe neighboring flanges 3 of the doors. The upper flanged member 6 is likewise bentor ofl'set away from the plane of the doors at its "ends, as'indicatedat15, in "thesame manner asis the angle iron 6 of'the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and3. Rivets 12 which pass through the leg of the upper angle iron forming a marginal flange of the door spreader serve to connect the said spreader to the doors. U r

Instead of being straight throughout the lower angle iron 5* is bent downwardly intermediate of its ends so that its central portion does not overlap the upper angle iron but is spaced therefrom. The angle irons 5 and 6 are, however, rigidly connected at their centers by means of a tie plate 23 which overlaps the flanges of the angle irons extending normal to the plane of the doors, the plate 28 being secured to said flanges by means of rivets 24.

The door spreader disclosed in Figs. 7

and 8 comprises an angle iron 5 which is straight throughout and projects beyond the sides of the doors 1 to form arms adapted to cooperate with door supporting hooks 18 for releasably maintaining the doors in closed position. The flanged member 5 is spaced from the plane of the doors, not only at its center but at its ends, by means of angle irons 6 constituting door contacting seats or faces engaging the under sides of the respective doors. The angle irons 5 and 6 are riveted together through overlapping legs extending normal to the plane of the doors, while the other legs of the angles extend in opposite directions so that the spreader is of Z-bar section having upper and lower marginal flanges. The hoppers 2 may be of any ordinary or preferred character.

p A door spreader embodying the invention may be readily constructed, is of simple form, is comparatively light and is well adapted to resist the forces to which it is subjected in performing its functions.

I claim:

1. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting {said doors, said spreader comprising a plurality of angle irons each having one of its legs secured in overlapping relation to a leg of the other angle iron and having its other leg form ing a marginal flange for the spreader.

2. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader comprising a plurality of angle irons overlappingly engaging and attached to each other at a plurality of points and which are spaced with respect to each other between their said points of attachment.

3. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader comprising a plurality of angle irons, one of the legs of each angle iron being secured at a plurality of points to a leg of the other angle iron in overlapping relation therewith, the said legs between their points of attachment having portions spaced with respect to each other in a clirection normal to the plane of said doors.

4. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader comprising a plurality of angle irons, certain of the legs of said angle irons being connected and arranged substantially normal to the plane. of said doors, and the other legs of said angle irons forming marginal flanges for the spreader between which the said first mentioned legs are disposed.

5. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spread-v er comprising a plurality of angle irons, certain of the legs of said angle irons being connected in overlapping relation and having portions spaced with respect. to each other in a direction substantially normal to the plane of said doors, and the other legs of said irons extending outwardly from said legs first mentioned in opposite directions and forming marginal flanges for the spreader.

6. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreaderconnecting said doors, said spreader comprising a continuous flanged member having a portion disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from the plane of the doors and having a portion lying in a plane substantially normal thereto, and a flanged member attached to said first named flanged member and offset therefrom toward the plane of the doors.

7. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader comprising two connected members one of which is offset with respect to the other at a plurality of points to form door engaging faces.

8. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader involving two connected flanged members extending continuously under and projecting beyond the opposite sides of said doors, one of said members having portions forming door engaging faces.

9. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader involving a plurality of connected flanged members one of which is substantially straight throughout and another of which is provided with oflset portions engaging said doors.

10. A railway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader involving a substantially straight flanged 1 member, and another flanged member connected to the flanged member first named and spaced therefrom beneath the respective doors to form door contacting portions.

11. Arailway car involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader involving a plurality of connected members one of which is offset toward the other intermediate or its length and is provided with door engaging portions on opposite sides of said offset. 7

12. A railway car involving a plurality of drop bottom doors having outstanding flanges, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader comprising a plurality of connected members which are spaced from each other beneath said doors, one of said members being bent toward the other to afford space for adjacent door flanges.

13. A door spreader or" built-up Z-section involving aplurality of flanged members, the web of said Z-section being formed by connected overlapping flanges of said flanged members, and the flanges of said Z- section being formed by other flanges of said flanged members.

14. A door spreader involving two members one of which is ofi'set toward the other at a plurality of points, and means for connecting said members at said offsets. 15. A railway ear involving a plurality of hinged drop bottom doors, and a door spreader connecting said doors, said spreader comprising a flanged member extending under said doors in spaced relation to the plane thereof and projecting outwardly on oppo= site sides of said doors, and flanged means affording a plurality of door contacting faces adapted to cooperate with the respective doors, said flanged member and said flanged means being connected through overlapping flanges and the portion of said flanged member which lies between the said contacting faces being spaced from said door contacting faces.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VILLIAM E. WINE. 

